Given how tattered AOL is these days, United Online and Earthlink, both Covad customers are looking more and more like the emerging victors in the independent market for Internet customers.

United Online has one of the brightest marketing executives in North America, Mark Goldstone, at the helm. The former Reebok and L.A. Gear executive knows consumer marketing better than almost anyone in telecom so watch for some very aggressive tactics from the L.A. area based United Online.